Best Days of Our Lives
by Righteous-Wrath
Summary: DISCONTINUED! SORRY!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FFVII, Crisis Core, or anything from the Final Fantasy franchise.

**Author's Note**: My first fanfiction ever being posted up for public viewing. Sorry that that first chapter is so short, but they do become longer later on. Feel free to review and leave nice comments. This fic is meant to be multi-paring but the overlying pairing is Genesis/Cloud. Other pairings are: Angeal/Sephy, Zack/Cloud, and mild Genesis/Sephy. And sorry for those who saved the original. There was an editting error in it and my word processor was beig stupid, so I deleted the original story.

**Warning**: Yaoi, rape, general pain

I sat, backed against the wall, staring down at my mother's body. I tried nudging her gently with my foot, but she wouldn't wake. I then tried shaking her roughly, but she still wouldn't wake.

"Mommy, please wake up," I said weakly, my throat tightening up as I fought back tears. I was hungry, and it was cold outside. The Plague had spread all around the city of Midgar. Those in Midgar Proper could afford to be treated, but we in the slums…We were probably better off dead anyway.

"She won't wake. You know that, don't you?" an older boy stood at the front of the alley that my other and I had chosen as a home. I couldn't tell exactly how much older than me he was, but I could tell he was a teenager. His raven black hair hung tangled down to his shoulders and his deep blue eyes shone with a strange kind of power and authority.

"Do you want to come live with me?" he went on, "There are a bunch of kids just like you who have lost their parents. We all take care of each other."

I stood and walked over to him, leaving my mother's body in the alley. It would get taken care of eventually.

"I will come with you, "I said softly.

He held out his hand (some three times bigger than my own) and I took it, "My name is Angeal," his voice was that of a boy who had been forced into a position of responsibility. He sounded tired and I had a feeling it was not from a lack of sleep. He smiled down at me and I could feel the corners of my mouth twitch upward.

"Angel…It is very nice to meet you. My name is Sephiroth," I forced a smile. My insides were burning with the acid of grief and with hunger, but I knew brooding would do no good for me. That was what mother had told me after father left: "Thinking of the past will get you shit," she was always one for words. That was perhaps the best advice she could ever have given to me.

_-o_-o_-o_-o_-o

He was the strangest little boy I had ever met, and trust me; I'd met quite a few. His hair had lost all of its color due to his illness, but the milky sheen it had was alluring. It looked almost silver in the pale lamplight. He took things so calmly, which was more than I could say for most kids. To top it all off, he had the most intriguing name.

"Sephiroth, that's a very unusual name," I noted, "How did your parents come across that name?"

He looked up at me and I got the impression that his wide azure eyes were judging me, sizing me up and seeing if I was worth the effort of speech, "The name comes from the word Sephirot, meaning the attributes of God. It's part of Judaism; my mother was a very religious woman," he sounded as if that were a bad thing, "Your name comes from the word angel, no doubt," the faintest hint of a cocky grin played across his face.

"How old are you?" I questioned with a small chuckle. He was so small, his hand fit entirely within my own with room to spare. He couldn't be older than five by my reckoning.

"I'll be four in a few weeks," his tiny hand balled up within my own and I could see he was fighting off his anguish.

"You have a very old soul then. Let's hope you can grow into it someday," I smoothed his hair as he looked up at me once more.

"What do you mean by that?" there was a small pout on his face as his eyebrows furrowed together. At that instant he really looked his age; I couldn't help but chuckle again.

"Forget it, we're almost there," I hoped the change in subject would go over unnoticed. My little prodigy only quirked an eyebrow at me as he followed.

"How many are there? Children, I mean,"

"About twenty; I try to keep count but some come and go as they please," one particularly troublesome boy came to mind, "You'll be one of the youngest though." As we neared the movie theatre that was our Eden, I picked Sephiroth up into my arms. He made a soft whining noise but no other objection was made. I carried him to the door, pushing it open with my shoulder. No sooner had I entered than I was greeted by small, excited faces and hands hugging me around the waist.

"Angeal, Angeal! Look who's come back!" one of the young girls pointed to the corner. I followed her outstretched arm and saw a familiar auburn-haired boy sitting in one of the theatre seats like it was his throne.

"Ah, Genesis, how very nice to see you again."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FFVII, Crisis Core, or anything from the Final Fantasy franchise. I do, however, own a very nice pair of fuzzy blue slippers.

**Author's Note**: I first want to say sorry to CornCob for not posting this up sooner. I have testing all this week, so now is the perfect time. For everyone who added me to their alert list…Yay you'll get an annoying E-mail! :D I will also now put POVs since apparently someone didn't get it… To clear up all confusions: This is an AU fic. The towns have the same names, but they aren't like in FFVII, okay? There is no "Above the plate" stuff for those who asked about that. If you're still confused, PM me. Don't leave some nasty-ass comment, please.

**Warning**: Genesis ('cause he deserves a warning, yeah?)

Genesis' POV

Normally I wouldn't have been so glad to see Angeal, but I noticed that he had a new kid with him. The kid was kind of cute, but I could tell he'd been badly affected by The Plague. He was staring at me with a very discerning look and I wondered if he knew what I was thinking.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Angeal's grating voice broke my train of thought.

I tried to force a smile, but it felt more like a grimace, "No. I didn't find it. I'm beginning to feel I never will. There are no more leads and it's becoming harder and harder to get into the city unnoticed."

Angeal looked at me sympathetically and I really wanted to just punch him right in the face. He seemed to single me out for pity and love, but that wasn't what I needed—it wasn't what I _wanted_. All I wanted was to fill the hole in my chest. It had been so long since I'd felt complete and content, I'd almost forgotten what that felt like. But, of course, Angeal just didn't understand. He never did. It was like he made it his personal mission to comfort me. I loved him for it, but it was freakin' annoying.

"So, maybe you'll stay with us for a while," Angeal sounded hopeful, "while you plan your next move." He was so accepting of my weird habits. I came and went, and he never said a word about it. I guess he assumed I'd always come back when I had to.

I shrugged and stood, "Might as well. It's difficult to find good food out on the streets and it's getting cold," I walked forward. The little white-haired kid had piqued my interest. Angeal gave me a warning look, telling me he knew what I was thinking. Sure, I was a bit rough with the younger kids, but I never did anything to seriously harm them.

"I just wanna look at him," I knew Angeal couldn't say no to my sulky voice. He sighed and gently pushed the boy toward me, but he kept a watchful eye just the same.

The boy stared up at me, his emerald eyes reflecting in my blue ones. There was a sort of natural defiance and pride that lurked beneath the surface of his calm, milk-white face. When I reached out to stroke his hair he didn't even flinch. It was like we were playing some perverse game of chicken: which of us would snap first? As he blinked up at me with that too-calm face, I knew the answer.

"You're a cute kid," I smirked and pinched his cheek. He slapped my hand away and gave me an annoyed look while rubbing his cheek. Yup, he was a regular punk alright. He had a lot of nerve for such a frail looking kid.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Angeal swooped in and ushered the boy over to a group of children his own age. I noticed (with no small amount of satisfaction) the look of fear in Angeal's eyes. It was so much more powerful that his usual wary glances. This new kid was something special to Angeal, and I wanted to know why.

_-0_-0_-0_-0_-0

It wasn't until after dinner that I got another chance to be alone with the kid. I caught him wandering around in the lobby near the empty, broken down arcade room.

"We weren't properly introduced," he jumped, his attention having previously been on a rather old shooting game. The plastic guns were dangling from gnarled wires.

"No, I don't think we were," he had such a little kid's voice.

"Would you be so kind as to grace with me with some personal information? A name and age would do just fine," I nearly snarled. Cute as he was, he had an attitude and I hated nothing more than little kids with attitudes.

He smirked and it was both the cutest and the most infuriating thing I'd ever seen. He gave me the information I had asked for and I frowned. So, he was five years younger than me; that would make it very difficult to get close to him. Angeal was anal about keeping kids in organized groups. All kids from two to four were stuck into one group, kids five to seven in another, and kids eight to ten were in the third group. Being part of this last group, I would probably not see much of Angeal's new little "pet". While that bothered me, I wasn't about to let Sephiroth know.

"I like you a lot, kid," I ruffled his hair, "We should hang out sometime,"

He shrugged his tiny shoulders and fixed his hair back into smooth white sheets, "Only if it's okay with Angeal," that name was beginning to have new meaning for me. Every time I wanted something done, Angeal found a way to stop me. The more I thought about just how annoying he was to me, the more I thought about just picking up ad leaving and never coming back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FFVII, Crisis Core, or anything from the Final Fantasy franchise. If I did, this stuff would be canon…

**Author's Note**: Just a heads up this chapter starts the time skips and scene shifts. It's a short chapter as its only purpose is to skip through time so my story isn't 50 chapters long. And also….Cloud will be appearing in the next chapter, but is too young for any natural GenxCloud action (sorry). But all that good stuff will come, I assure you!

Seph's POV

Many things happened in the next ten years. About two months after I joined Angeal and the other orphans, the doctors of Midgar found a cure for The Plague. It took about two years but eventually the cure was brought into the slums. All of the children left in groups, probably gone off to make better lives for themselves. In that same year Angeal, Genesis, and I left the theatre and moved into an apartment, and not too soon either.

About six months after we moved, half the slums was excavated and destroyed to make room for a new building of some sort. ShinRa was an electric and energy company…Or so the posters claimed. I had a hunch it was something more, but I had no proof; all those men in black suits just gave me a bad feeling. By that point it was just the three of us living alone and bonded by friendship. None of the old gang ever came to visit. I felt the best during those years, but even our tight bond was to be broken.

"It's just something I have to do," Genesis calmly explained as he hastily shoved clothes into a worn out suitcase, "I can feel something calling out to me and I need to find it." That mysterious 'thing' he'd been looking for had apparently arrived from lord-knows-where and Genesis was leaving to go find it. Angeal pleaded with him, but Genesis still left. I didn't really care too much though. Genesis and I were friends by that point, but he could do whatever he wanted with his life; he was a grown up.

Angeal found himself a job at ShinRa and, despite my warnings and pouting, he insisted that the company was upright and proper. It was a high paying job, he explained, which meant we would finally have some kind of major income in the family. After all, my job as a paperboy hardly paid for our weekly bread. I hoped that at last the two of us could settle down to a halfway normal life. Of course I had no such luck.

I was pulling my best sulk on that particular day, but I was never as good as Genesis. "Now stop your sulking, Seph," Angeal smiled warmly and ruffled my hair which by that point hung down to my elbows, "I'll be back by seven o'clock, okay?" he set out a bowl of cereal for me like he did everyday and headed to work. He didn't return home that evening. Eight o'clock rolled around, but still he didn't come home. Even as I ordered dinner from the cheapest Chinese restaurant in town I knew he wasn't going to show.

I couldn't say I was surprised. After all, I was accustomed to being abandoned. First my mother, then Genesis, and now even Angeal didn't want me. Angeal, who I'd trusted like an older brother, a father even. Angeal who I'd almost fancied would one day get rich so the two of us could move into a big house and we could be sickeningly extravagant together. It seemed like I was destined to be alone. But, I was an idiot and I waited for him. I waited for an entire week, spending the last of my job money on food. When at last I was convinced that he really wasn't coming back, I took what little money Angeal had left in the secret savings box under his bed, quit my old job, and moved leaving everything behind me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FFVII, Crisis Core, or anything from the Final Fantasy franchise. I would say something witty now, but I can't think of anything.

**Author's Note**: I would say sorry for not updating, but I don't feel all too bad about it. I have, however, gotten some rather angry PMs stating that I should update. I can only imagine that cement shoes and a walk in the Hudson would be my fate for not updating. At any rate, lame update is lame. Enjoy and comment if you so wish. I have chapter 5 written out and chapter 6 is in the making. Updates may still be slow due to school.

Cloud's POV

Nibelheim was probably the most peaceful place in the world. In my three years of living there, it had always been a source of good memories. I guess it makes sense, then, that I never noticed any of the bad things that happened there.

Only a few short weeks after my third birthday, a fire broke out in the fields. All of the crops (the grownups said one thousand acres) was burned down as well as the nearby houses including the mayor's house. The entire town spoke of arson and sabotage. I didn't know what any of that meant, but I figured it was a bad thing since everyone looked upset about it. Only after the fire was put out did the shock settle in. The village's main source of income had just been burnt to the ground. The night after the fire was put out, my parents had a huge fight. I guess they thought I was sleeping, but they were shouting too loud for me to rest.

"What else do you expect me to do?" my mother's blonde hair bounced as she tossed her head back and sighed, "There's little else available for a woman."

"But to stoop to something so low," my father was an old man, and he had old values. The lines on his face creased and his brow furrowed. Mother obviously was doing something that displeased him.

"There's nothing else for me to do!" her voice was almost pleading, "Besides you are too old for any of the other jobs. You'd be replaced by some young kid in a week. Someone needs to support this family." She [inched the bridge of her nose.

"I cannot just sit by and let you-"

"Enough of this! This is our only option right now and I won't have you ruining this family because of some outdated idea of honor. I will deal with the consequences later. Cloud is my first priority and I will do anything to keep him safe and happy," her tone made it clear that the conversation had ended.

I shivered in my bed, wondering what they had been arguing about. Why did we only have one option? Why did mother sound so sad? Was I really causing so much trouble for them that my parents had to fight? Why couldn't mother just be happy that daddy got to stay home now? That's what she wanted, after all. I snuggled under the blankets, my head full of questions. I couldn't sleep as a sick empty feeling nestled in my stomach. It was the longest night of my life.

Zack's POV

He was always carrying me around, showing me stuff. I was his "Little Puppy, Zack" and he was my "Uncle Angeal", and that was just how things were. Angeal was kind of like my second father. My real father was sick in bed all the time, and I had too much energy for him to deal with. He rarely spent time with me, but I knew he loved me because he told me so.

Four years ago Angeal came to visit the village of Gongaga from the city. I vaguely remember sitting on my father's shoulders as the villagers gathered in the square. There stood Angeal on the edge of the fountain, preaching about technology. It was then that our eyes met and something seemed to click. From then on the two of us were inseparable.

"Zack, come over here," Angeal called, a wide grin on his face. I thought he looked a little silly when he smiled. To me he was big and brawny and he carried around a gun which he claimed was for protection. Smiling just wasn't something I imagined him doing often. Angeal was just weird like that.

"Don't just gawk at me, come on," he scooped me up into his strong arms and brought me to a narrow alleyway.

"You want to show me an alleyway?" he smirked, quirking and eyebrow at him. I'd seen tons of allies before, having often used them as hiding places during hide-and-seek games. I didn't see what made this alley more special than the others.

"Don't be cocky," a got a soft swat on the back of the head, "It's what's in the alley that I want you to see," he motioned for me to be quiet and follow him, and I did so. The two of us crept though the narrow passage until we came to a large cardboard box.

"Look at this," Angeal was still grinning as he gently prodded the box. There was a loud rustling sound and then a small kitten poked its head out from under the box. I squealed loudly, frightening the cat and causing it to scurry back into its hideout. I giggled at that and hugged Angeal around the neck. I could feel him shaking with silent laughter as he picked me up and carried me over to a nearby bench. He set me down and I stared up at him, a question forming in my mind.

"Angeal, have you ever had anyone special in your life…Before me, I mean?" Something in his eyes dimmed, as if he were losing his focus. His brows knit together and he nodded.

"Yes, now that you mention it, I think there was someone."

Angeal's POV

I remembered something from a long time ago. I hadn't thought about it, and I probably never would have again if Zack hadn't asked the pointed question. The image of a young boy was coming back to me. His wide, innocent eyes were the color of the sky, and they glistened like opals. His soft, silken hair was like liquid moonlight that rested upon small shoulders. This young boy looked like an angel with ivory skin, and I could have sworn I had seen that boy somewhere before.

"Sephiroth…" the word slipped from my mouth, bringing with it a wave of realization. That's right…I'd left Sephiroth alone in Midgar! Why, he had to be nearly fifteen by now. A cold feeling came over me and settled in my stomach. How could I have forgotten the best thing that had ever happened to me? Moreover, how could I have abandoned him, leaving him to fend for himself? I was a horrible human being. I dreaded the thought of him being dead, but that seemed all too likely.

I grabbed Zack by the arm and tossed him onto my shoulders. He seemed to sense my change in mood as he made no fuss and kept still as I carried him back home. A raw feeling burned in my throat as I set Zack down in front of his father's bedroom door. As I looked back before entering, I could see a pout on his face. God, it reminded me so much of Seph that I could have lost it right there.

Zack's POV

One good thing that could be said about my father was that he was a sensible man. When you were sick and dying, you really didn't have any other choice did you? I tried to listen through the keyhole, but their voices were too low for me to make out what they were saying. I assumed, then, that they were talking about something very important. I contented myself with sitting in the kitchen, watching the sky turn from bright white and blue to deep purple.

The door to my father's bedroom opened and Angeal beckoned me. I stood at the foot of my father's bed, looking up into his pale and sickly face. He held out his hand and I took it.

"Zack," he rasped, "Angeal and I have been talking," he paused, "and we have both come to the decision that you should go with him and live in the city.

I could feel my breathe catch in my throat, "You want me to leave you?" my voice was little more than a pathetic squeak.

"I am a sick man," he smiled weakly, "I can no longer take care of you, but Angeal can," he looked over to Angeal, "Angeal has to return to Midgar, and I have asked him to take you with him. You will be better off there." He squeezed my hand.

It was so typical of my father to do that sort of thing. He was rational to a fault, and he always did what was best for me even if it meant hurting himself.

I nodded, "I understand. I'll go pack up my things then," I turned to leave, "When are we going?" I asked Angeal.

He sighed, "As soon as you are finished packing. I'll go get us some train tickets."

I nodded again and walked to my room, my legs feeling like lead. I tried to pack slowly, but I didn't have many possessions so eve that went by too quickly. I stood in front of Angeal, bags by my side, as I glanced back at my father's bedroom. I would have liked to have said goodbye, but I knew it would hurt too much.

"I'm ready to go," I sighed.

"Are you sure? Don't you want to say goodbye?" Angeal looked concerned as I picked up my bags.

I shook my head and we started walking, our footsteps echoing through the quiet village. I shivered and pulled my jacket tightly around me as I took what would be my last look at the village I had lived in my entire life.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was a long six hour train ride to Midgar station, but Angeal did his best to keep me amused. We played cards for about half an hour, but go fish and old maid are boring games and I'd never leaned any others. He read me some storied out of one of the books I'd packed, but it didn't hold my interest for long. Finally we resigned ourselves to sitting in silence.

At long last Angeal spoke, "I'm sure you'll like it in Midgar. It's not as small or as quiet as Gongaga, but most of the people there are nice enough."

I smiled weakly and nodded, "I'll get used to the noise, I'm sure." It was leaving my father that had bothered me the most. Still, Angeal was more like my father so perhaps that feeling would go away.

I stared out the window, watching the scenery change from open countryside to suburban. I never knew buildings could be so tall. I told Angeal this but he only chuckled and told me the buildings in Midgar were even taller. I found that hard to believe. Watching the scenery lulled me into a half sleep, so I was only vaguely aware of the train coming to a stop. I heard the rustling of bags being moved and felt a strong hand on my shoulder gently shaking me awake.

"Zack, we've arrived. Let's get going," Angeal slung our bags over his back and led me off of the train

I jumped down to the platform and gasped as I looked around. I had never seen so many people in one place before. And they all looked so different. I grabbed Angeal's hand, trying to stay close. He smiled at me and, since we first left Gongaga, I felt at ease.

Angeal's POV

Poor little puppy; he looked so cute with his wide blue eyes staring around. He was slightly cutting off the circulation in my wrist, but I didn't mind. I was just happy that he liked the city. I had been worried that he was angry with me for taking him from his father.

"Different, isn't it?"I grinned. He only nodded in return, his mouth slightly gaping. I reached down and gently nudged his chin and he snapped his mouth shut.

I began walking slowly with Zack at my side. I was afraid of what might have changed since I left. Stepping out of the train station, I looked around. I could tell we were in the slums, but it was much cleaner than I recalled. If my memory served well, the old movie theater was somewhere nearby. We walked uptown a few blocks, but things only became less and less familiar to me.

"Excuse me, sir, "I addressed a young man wearing a shady looking trench coat, "Do you know if this is the correct way to the theater district?"

The man stared at the two of us for a moment before nodding quickly and stalking off. At least the people hadn't changed much. I could feel Zack pressing tighter against me as we continued, and I tried to reassure him. I looked up at the street sign and then at the surroundings. We should have been right across from the movie theater, but there was only a super market. Its lettering was bright and new, red with a yellow outline; hard to ignore. I could only think of how stupid I had seemed, asking about a movie theater which no longer existed. Still, the streets were the same as I remembered, so I'd be able to find my way around.

We continued walking, Zack complaining every now and then about his feet or being cold or the ugly buildings. I could only chuckle as I thought about it; to me, those buildings were a refuge. I stared up at the nearest building and sighed. It looked so glum and dirty: the windows were covered in dust and broken in places, the walls were slightly crumbled, and the main entrance door had paint peeling off of it. I looked up at the faded sign hanging above the door and I felt my skin go cold. It was the very building I had lived in with Seph. Had those few shorts years done do much damage…Or had it always been so run down? At any rate, it was obvious that no one lived there any longer. The large sign designating the abolition was also a good hint.

"Angeal! Where are we going? This place is weird." I Zack looked up at me with a frown on his face. I guess he was trying to look serious, but it was too cute.

"I'm looking for a friend" I felt a pang of guilt stab at my gut. _If he still considers me a friend_…_I wouldn't if I was him. _I sighed and lifted Zack onto my shoulders, "C'mon, kiddo, I know where we can find my friend."

Zack's POV

We continued walking (Well, Angeal walking, me riding on his shoulders). He was commenting on how I weighed too much, and I hit him for it. I must have been pouting, because he laughed loudly like he does whenever I sulk.

We stopped in front of a big brown building that reminded me of the prison in Gongaga.

"It's not a prison, it's the City Hall. Chances are we can find out about my friend here," he set me on the ground and walked inside. Having no other option, I followed him grudgingly.

I found myself gaping at how open it was inside. I felt as if I was still outside, the ceiling was so far away. There was a desk in the center of the lobby and there was a girl sitting behind it. She looked very young and she giggled a lot in a very annoying kind of way.

"Miss," Angeal tried to speak over the girl's laughter, "I've come to get some information on a friend of mine."

"Does the friend of yours have a name?" she giggled.

"His name's Sephiroth," I could tell that Little Miss Laughs-a lot was getting on Angeal's nerves. I stifled my own laughter as I heard him sigh.

"You mean silver-haired, grumpy Sephiroth? I didn't know he had any friends." She commented.

"So you know him well then?"

"He comes in here like every other month trying to find a new job. I guess he's got like a temper problem, 'cause hardly anyone will hire him. I mean the guy-"

"Can you just tell me where he works now?" Angeal cut off the girl mid rant.

"Oh sure! He works at the coffee shop down the block. Regular ray of sunshine, he is." But Angeal wasn't paying attention anymore. He scooped me into his arms and sprinted out the door.

Seph's POV

I hated my job, I really did. Why the hell did I have to be so cheery anyway; it's not like anyone really cared. Besides, smiling so much made my face hurt. I'd learned to really despise coffee and bagels by working at the shop. I had to be good, though, or my boss would fire me.

As I stared at the oven, which was full of burning bagels, I thought of Angeal. Damn lotta good it would do me, but I still missed him. It hurt me so much to think of him, but I guess I was a bit of a masochist. If he walked through the door of the shop, I would probably have forgiven him for leaving me.

The bell rang, announcing a new customer. I groaned inwardly and turned around. Luckily I didn't have a tray of hot bagels in my hand. I had to be dreaming. There was no way in hell Angeal could really be standing in the doorway with a kid next to him. I felt a chill nestle in my gut as my mouth was filled with a vile taste. He had a new kid, then? He ditched me to go take care of some brat? Slowly I removed the apron from around my waist and stepped out from behind the counter. As I stood directly in front of Angeal, I had a better look at his face. I cocked my head to the side and, without so much as a friendly warning, punched him hard in the mouth. He staggered backwards and rubbed his jaw gingerly before he smiled,

"You really are too nice."

Angeal's POV

I had expected more than just a punch, but my jaw hurt pretty badly. As Zack and I waited outside, Seph explained the situation to his boss. When he came outside, he looked upset.

"I told him you were a guy from the army recruitment agency." I saw his eyes harden as he glanced at Zack, "You can't leave 'em alone, can you?"

"Seph, don't be like that…" I pleaded weakly.

"Don't be like what?! Don't be angry that you just left me when I was ten? Don't be jealous that you found some new kid to take care of? How can you tell me not to be angry? What right do you have to tell me to do _anything_ anymore?!" He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, looking away, "I'm sorry. It…Must have been difficult for you as well." He suddenly became very serious, "The only thing that matters is that you're back."

I smiled and placed my hand gently on his shoulder. He had grown so much in those few years; he was almost as tall as me.

"So, who's the shrimp?" he jerked his head in Zack's direction. Zack blinked and came out from hiding behind me.

"I'm Zack, but I guess it's okay if you call me shrimp." He grinned brightly.

"Cute kid. Hey, why don't I take you guys to my place?" Seph offered.

"What about work?" I asked.

"Ah screw it; work can wait a little while. If I'm late from break once the boss won't care." He shrugged and walked off, leaving Zack and me no other option than to follow him.

It felt so good to finally be home again.


End file.
